In a world where time is a becoming an even more precious commodity, the search for a parking spot can be a major concern and stress factor for drivers. At the same time, the search for a parking spot can significantly impact traffic conditions. According to a recent study, vehicles circling city blocks in search for a parking spot increase traffic in big cities by one account, as much as thirty percent. In other words, this stressful process feeds on itself by worsening traffic conditions when looking for a place to park.
Several systems have been built that detect the availability of parking spots using suitable sensors mounted on the road surface. However, this approach requires expensive installation and maintenance costs. A proposed research system uses ultrasonic sensors mounted on the side of vehicles to detect free spots. However, such installations are expensive, do not exist in any commercial vehicle setting to date, and are not likely to be deployed in the near future.